I’VE been listening to A-ha lately.
The 1980s’ A-ha, that is.
“Maybe, Maybe,” “Take On Me,” “Cry Wolf,” “Hunting High and Low,” “You Are the One,” “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.,” “The Living Daylights” (theme song of the 1987 James Bond movie with the same title), etc.—that A-ha.
This started when I was chatting with a friend and for my reply, I sent the “Maybe, Maybe” YouTube video.
How timely then that the theme of Limketkai Luxe Hotel’s 10th anniversary celebration on January 8 was Bond, James Bond where the franchise’s theme songs were played and even performed live by Luxe’s lounge singers. But I can’t remember if they sang “The Living Daylights.” Hmmm. Senior moment for me.
A-ha was one of the popular bands way back in the ‘80s when I still listened to Whitney Houston, Angela Bofill, and Kuh Ledesma whenever I was in Manila. And A-ha and their like once I was back home here in Cagayan de Oro—because I had no choice. Dad and my younger bros had control over the house’s biggest and loudest stereo which my smaller portable stereo couldn’t compete with.
So, either I had to invest in a bigger and louder sound system or learn to like the favorites of Dad—Air Supply, Ray Conniff, Matt Monro, Earl Klugh, other jazz and classical music—and that of my bros—A-ha, U2, The Cure, The Police, Duran Duran, etc.
Mama played the piano instead of competing with the many musical genres that the rest of the family preferred.
Our taste in music then was halo-halo. People dropping by the house probably thought, Ano ba talaga, Kuya? Haha. Until I finally gave in and realized I preferred my bros’ favorites.
Our house was usually filled with friends—mine and that of my younger siblings—since it was right in the middle of the city proper, although, there were no malls yet at that time.
And Mama baking, cooking, and preparing the yummiest goodies—tuna sandwiches, egg sandwiches, spaghetti, brownies, salted peanuts, custard cake, chiffon cake, all other cakes, etc.—did help in encouraging our friends to be there. All they had to do was open the fridge and voila! Same for the dining room cabinet’s drawers that had all sorts of junk food. Plus Coke on the rocks—yum!
Many things have happened since the ‘80s. Some people who were around that time are now in their 80s. I wonder what lessons they’ve learned so far since life is always a work in progress. I mean, it took me several decades of going in and out of diets until I discovered low-carb-fasting (LCF). And I may switch to the carnivore diet soon as I continue to learn about LCF.
Still, I bought sugar-free chocolates to sate my sweet tooth and was having that as dessert. A doctor already warned me to avoid sweets years ago, way before my LCF journey, so, why was I now feasting on chocolates?
And when the throat began to complain, I could almost hear that doctor say, Aha!
